A number of projects including a monorail and two major hotel developments, were flagged off at The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai last month with the signing of construction contracts and ground-breaking ceremonies.

As part of a Dh25 billion ($6.80 billion) plan to to improve its road, traffic and transport services, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced a Dh700 million ($190.6 million) project for the expansion and development of the Al Ittihad Road and will soon embark on three key road projects to facilitate traffic flow in the emirate.

The extension of the Dubai Creek is progressing rapidly with around 3.2 km of work having been completed at the landmark Business Bay project, according to Dubai Properties (DP), the developer of the project.

Huntsman –  a key player in the global coatings market offering a huge range of specialty chemicals and formulated solutions –  introduced its extensive product mix at last month’s Middle East Coating Show, giving its regional clients and trade visitors a chance to benefit from the vast expertise of the company’s top experts.

Sorouh launches $2.7bn complexAbu Dhabi: Property firm Sorouh is developing a Dh10 billion ($2.72 billion) complex featuring an 83-storey residential and commercial tower in Abu Dhabi.

Volvo Group Middle East –  a recently-established subsidiary of Volvo Group, a leading provider of commercial transport solutions –  inaugurated last month two newly-built facilities in Dubai at the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ) –  the Regional Parts Distribution Centre (RPDC) and the Regional Competence Development Centre (RCDC).

Union Properties has awarded construction giant Bouygues a contract to build the new Ritz Carlton Hotel at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in DubaiThe contract has been awarded after the company set up a local joint venture partner, Target Construction.

Gemaco Interiors, a leading UAE-based office interior and furnishing company, has launched a 1,500 sq m fully dedicated Haworth Creativity Centre showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Gemaco Interiors showcases Haworth "adaptable workspaces" from its American, European and Asia Pacific ranges.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has invited bids for a new power and desalination plant –  M station –  which will increase power generation by 2,000 MW and water desalination capacity by 105 million gallons per day. The project is estimated to cost Dh5.5 billion ($1.497 billion).

Nakheel has announced the appointment of leading UK consultancy firm Mott MacDonald to undertake the engineering consultancy services on the first phase of its Jumeirah Golf Estates development in Dubai.

Tameer Holdings, a leading real estate developer in the region, has signed two significant deals that will help facilitate the completion of its Dh30 billion ($8.16 billion) AlSalam City project.

Al Manal Development has awarded Al Liwan Contracting the main contract, worth Dh230 million ($62.6 million), to build the Lakeside Residence in the Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai. Construction works –  shoring and piling works on The Lakeside Residence – will begin by the end of this month (April), and will be completed in April 2008.

Dubai Maritime City (DMC) has signed a contract with Van Oord/Belhasa Six joint venture for the construction of 3.5 km of quay walls, with water depths of up to 10 m at high tide. The completion of the wall is expected to take 20 months, and will be conducted in a phased manner starting with the industrial precinct.

Dubai Municipality is gearing up for the launch of the second phase of its Building Permit Certification Service, which will be one of the biggest eGovernment implementations undertaken by the Municipality.

Dubai Studio City (DSC) has unveiled the masterplan for its film and broadcast production cluster, which lays out the blueprint for a massive infrastructure for the industry's development.